1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shaped clip that is made of a metal band and has a flange on each axial side. The flanges are bent radially inwardly. A first clamping wall and a second clamping wall each protrude approximately radially outwardly from ends of the metal band. A barb is bent over on the radially outer end of the first clamping wall. The barb has a first hook section and a second hook section. The first hook section extends approximately parallel to a tangent from the circumference of the shaped clip at the point where the first clamping wall protrudes outwardly from the metal band. The second hook section is directed radially inwardly at an inclined angle with respect to the first hook section. The first hook section and the second hook section enclose an acute angle. A latching hook is connected to the radially outer edge of the second clamping wall. The latching hook is formed from a strip and has a first limb and a second limb. The second limb is disposed at an angle with respect to the first limb. To move the shaped clip from an open position to a closed position, the clamping walls are pressed together, thereby causing the latching hook to latch to the barb by sliding an inclined end surface of the second limb radially inwardly over and beyond an inclined surface of the second hook section, thereby latching the latching hook into a retention position behind the second hook section, which is situated before the closed position. Further pressing together of the clamping walls from the retention position, causes an inclined end surface of the second hook section to slide up, over and beyond the radially outer edge of the second clamping wall, thereby snapping the second hook section into a closed position behind the second clamping wall.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A shaped clip is disclosed, for example, in European reference EP 0 636 826 B1. In the European '826 reference, a latching hook 4 is offset from the central plane of the shaped clip (the central plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaped clip). A first limb 7b of latching hook 4 extends approximately tangentially with respect to the circumference of the shaped clip. A second limb 4a of latching hook 4 extends at an inclined angle with respect to the central plane and, in the open position, extends approximately radially outwardly so that an inclined end surface of second limb 4a faces barb 3. A second hook section of barb 3 has a U-shaped cutout 5 whose one lateral edge faces the inclined end surface of second limb 4a of latching hook 4. When the clamping walls are pressed together, the inclined end surface and the lateral edge of the U-shaped cutout contact one another. Further pressing together of the clamping walls causes the ends of the shaped clip to be deflected in the axial direction relative to one another, resulting in the second limb of the latching hook sliding through the U-shaped cutout in the second hook section of the barb. The ends of the shaped clip spring back in the opposite axial direction from which they were deflected because of the inherent spring force of the shaped clip. The second limb slides next to the U-shaped cutout and latches behind the second hook section of the barb. The relative axial deflection of the two ends of the shaped clip requires a relatively large amount of play between the flanges of the shaped clip and the inclined flanks of the flanges on the pipes to be connected by the shaped clip. Thus, in the closed position, the shaped clip together with its flanges does not bear sufficiently securely against the inclined flanks of the flanges of the pipes to be connected because the shaped clip has an axially displaceable snap fastening with some required axial play, without a mechanism to compensate for the axial play between the flanges of the clip and the flanges of the pipes.